At Racine Olson, we have had clients come in and tell us about burn injuries. Some were caused by fire, some were caused by chemicals such as acid, and some were electrical. Regardless of the cause, these types of injuries are incredibly painful. A person suffering from such an injury cannot get away from the pain and eventual skin grafts that often do not fully resolve the issue. People who get these painful injuries come to Racine Olson for help. They know that Racine Olson has been around for years and will be there when needed. It doesn’t matter the Racine Olson location, whether in Pocatello, Idaho Falls, or Boise, understanding people are present to help. We have been here since the 1940s, and we’ll just keep on being here.
Establishing NegligenceIf you are badly burned, first get medical treatment. This can be obtained at burn units or large hospitals in the area. After that, you want to contact an experienced personal injury attorney who can address the complexities involved in the injury. For instance, if you or someone you love is injured in a house or apartment fire, there are a couple of ways to show that the owner of the structure was negligent. Negligence is shown when a person establishes that the defendant did not act as a reasonable person did under the circumstances. Stephens v. Stearns, 106 Idaho 249, 678 P.2d 41 (1984). Another way that an injured person can show that the landowner was negligent is by using the fire codes or uniform building codes. Stevens v. Fleming, 116 Idaho 523, 525-526, 777 P.2d 1196, 1198-1199 (1989). The Idaho Supreme Court has stated:
When applicable, specific statutory provisions such as the Uniform Fire Code may prove useful in delineating minimum standards which are binding upon every owner of a rented premise. Such on point code provisions provide a ready measure of the base standard of care and failure to meet such standard may be negligence per se if the statutes or ordinances were designed to prevent the type of harm which occurred. Id.Danger Spots
Where do burns tend to happen? They can happen almost anywhere and usually it’s due to a person’s negligence.
Acid or Chemical Burns: Recently we have seen a rash of these types of injuries at the workplace. In one situation, an employee entered an improperly drained container and was burned on his face and arm. In another, the employee stepped into a retaining pond and was burned due to a contractor failing to warn about the acid.
Fire: Burns caused by fire often arise at home or in a building. This often ends up causing terrible injuries including death to the occupants. However, burns by fire can also occur as a result of car accidents or even exhaust pipes in vehicles.
Electrical Injuries: These types of injuries can be caused anywhere faulty electricity or wiring is present. This includes the outdoors. For instance, there are specific electrical codes that govern how high outside wiring must be and what is allowed in a given area. Given the danger that electricity poses, special standards also apply. Racine Olson has handled cases like this and we know where to look to determine who was responsible for these catastrophic injuries.
Damages Awarded in These CasesThere are several categories of damages that are available in a burn case. These include the money expended on medical treatment, lost wages due to time missed at work, and future medical bills. In addition, you can be reimbursed for pain and suffering as well as disfigurement or scarring. An injured person may have lost the ability to work, and so this is compensable under theories of loss of future income and lost earning capacity.
Racine OlsonRacine Olson has the resources to hire the expert witnesses and experience to know which experts are needed. We’ve handled these difficult cases before, and we’ll know what to do to increase the value of your case. We look forward to helping you solve a problem together. Give us a call. Problem solved.